SPECTRO-ANALYTICAL, COMPUTATIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON 4-PYRIDINE CARBOXALDEHYDE-3-HYDROXY-5-(HYDROXY METHYL)-2-METHYL HYDRAZONE HYDROCHLORIDE AND ITS CU (II) COMPLEXCA

Objective: The title compound 4-pyridine carboxaldehyde 3-hydroxy-5-(hydroxy methyl)-2-methyl hydrazone (PCHHMMH) hydrochloride an analogue of Pyridoxal isonicotinoyl hydrazone PIH, is an iron chelator. The PCHHMMH has potential donor sites suitable for metal ion binding, the study on structural aspects of the compound and its copper complex are explored. With a view to understand biological importance of title compounds, antimicrobial and cytotoxic studies were planned. Methods: In the present study the spectroanalytical techniques employed were pH-metry, spectrophotometry, IR, 1H & 13C-NMR, UV-Vis, ESR, Magnetic measurements, TGA and SEM. The computational method employed is HyperChem 7.5 software. The antimicrobial studies were carried out by agar disc diffusion method for antibacterial studies against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The cytotoxic potential was measured by Sulforhodamine B (SRB) method against selected tumor cells. Results: The equilibrium studies by employing pH-metric method inferred the dissociation of two protons in it. Further titration in presence of Cu (II) ion, it is confirmed the release of two protons from title compound and formation of corresponding complex. The orientations of frontier orbitals for molecular and ionized forms of compound were computed to understand the electronic properties. The Cu (II) PCHHMMH complex was characterized by spectroanalytical methods and screened for, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Conclusion: As the structural features are important to understand the chemical behavior of metal complexes, in the present study copper complex was synthesized and characterized by employing various spectro-analytical tools viz; IR, 1H & 13C-NMR, UV-Vis, ESR, Magnetic measurements, TGA and SEM. Further the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities were evaluated and correlated with computed QSAR data

Adherence to anti-retroviral therapy among HIV patients in Bangalore, India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p><it>Human Immunodeficiency Virus </it>(HIV) has an estimated prevalence of 0.9% in India (5.2 million). Anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) are the treatments of choice and non-adherence is an important factor in treatment failure and development of resistance, as well as being a powerful predictor of survival. This study assesses adherence to ARV in HIV positive patients in Bangalore, India, a country where only 10% of those who need therapy are receiving it.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional anonymous questionnaire survey of 60 HIV antibody positive patients was carried out with patients attending HIV outpatient services at two centres: The Chest and Maternity Centre, Rajajinagar, and Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute, Bangalore. Consent was obtained. Translation was done by a translator and doctors where required. Data was analysed using SPSS statistical analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A response rate of 88% (53/60) was achieved. The mean patient age was 39.98 years, with 50% aged 30–40, and 73.6% of participants being male. Mean family size was 4.8 (1–13). 21% lived less than 50 kms and 21% greater than 400 kms from clinic.</p> <p>60% reported they were fully adherent. Adherence was statistically significantly linked to regular follow-up attendance (70.5%, p = 0.002). No other results were statistically significant but trends were found. "100% adherence" trends were seen in older patients, male gender, those from larger families, those who had a previous AIDS defining illness, those taking fewer tablets, and without food restrictions. Commonest side-effects causing non-adherence were metabolic reasons (66%) and GI symptoms (50%). No trends were seen for education level, family income, distance travelled to clinic, time since diagnosis, or time on ART.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Regular attendance for follow up was statistically significant for 100% lifetime adherence. Positive trends were seen in those in larger families, older, those who had AIDS defining illness, simple regimes, and without side-effects. Education, income, distance travelled and length of time diagnosed or treated had no effect on adherence.</p

Gene cloning, recombinant expression, and bioassay of an allatotropin in Spodoptera litura Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Background: Allatotropin, a neuropeptide found in several invertebrates indirectly regulates vitellogenesis by stimulating juvenile hormone biosynthesis by the corpora allata. Here, we cloned and expressed the gene encoding allatotropin of Spodoptera litura (tobacco cutworm), a polyphagous pest in the Asian tropics. This study is aimed at studying the efect of recombinant protein on egg-laying in females of S. litura as it could be used as a method to control the pests from a reproductive perspective

An Efficient Framework to Protect Medical Images

In this work, lossless compression is considered and an efficient Encryption–then-compression (ETC) scheme is proposed for medical images. A considerably good level of security is achieved by the proposed scheme where image encryption is operated in the prediction error domain.  In addition, reasonably good compression of the encrypted medical images is achieved. Comparison is done between Gradient adjusted prediction (GAP) &amp; Median Edge Detector (MED) techniques and GAP is found to perform better with respect to PSNR, bit rate and entropy.  The average values of PSNR, bit rate and entropy in decibels for MED predictor are 10.8313, 3.7695 and 3.8624 respectively. Similarly, for GAP predictor, the average values of PSNR, bit rate and entropy in decibels are 11.9025, 4.0279 and 4.1286 respectively

An in vitro study of the effect of Centella asiatica [Indian pennywort] on enteric pathogens

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Presence of Candida In Oral Lichen Planus And Leukoplakia

Candida albicans is one of the indigenous oral microbial floras. which is known to harbor in keratotic lesions of oral cavity. Due to endogenous nitrosation potential of this organism dysplastic changes are usually associated in lesions with candidal invasion. This study was done to see the association of the organism with oral lichen planus and Leukoplakia in smears and histological secrinns. The presence of the nrgnnism was found to be statistically insignificant (p>O.05) in these lesions and there was no correlation between dysplasia and the presence of candidal hyphae in oral lichen planus and leukoplakia

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the mating-responsive genes in the male accessory glands of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Background Mating elicits significant changes in gene expression and leads to subsequent physiological and behavioural modifications in insects. The reproductive success of both sexes is contributed immensely by the male accessory gland (MAG) proteins that are transferred along with sperms to the female reproductive tract during mating where they facilitate several processes that modify the post-mating behaviour. The mating-responsive genes in the MAGs have been identified and reported in many insects but have not been well-characterized in the important agricultural pest Spodoptera litura. Here, we present RNA sequencing analysis to identify mating-responsive genes from the accessory glands of virgin males and males interrupted during mating. Results Overall, 91,744 unigenes were generated after clustering the assembled transcript sequences of both samples, while the total number of transcripts annotated was 48,708 based on sequence homology against the non-redundant (NR) database. Comparative transcriptomics analysis revealed 16,969 genes that were differentially expressed between the two groups, including 9814 up-regulated and 7155 down-regulated genes. Among the top 80 genes that were selected for heat map analysis, several prominent genes including odorant binding protein, cytochrome P450, heat shock proteins, juvenile hormone binding protein, carboxypeptidases and serine protease were differentially expressed. Conclusions The identified genes are known or predicted to promote several processes that modify the female post-mating behaviour. Future studies with the individual MAG protein or in combination will be required to recognize the precise mechanisms by which these proteins alter female physiology and reproductive behaviour. Thus, our study provides essential data to address fundamental questions about reproduction within and among insects and also paves way for further exploration of the functions of these proteins in female insects

Nerve conduction abnormalities in different stages of glucose intolerance

AIMS: To look for changes in nerve conduction velocity (NCV) in early stages of glucose intolerance, i.e. in impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and in asymptomatic newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic subjects (NDD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 225 subjects were categorized as: Group 1: Subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), Group 2: IGT subjects and Group 3: NDD subjects. Motor (MCV) and Sensory nerve Conduction Velocity (SCV) measurements were done. RESULTS: The mean MCV was significantly lower in the NDD group (47 ± 5 m/s) when compared with the other two groups (IGT=50 ±4.5 m/s; NGT= 53 ± 4 m/s; P=0.0001). The IGT group of subjects also exhibited a significantly lower mean MCV when compared with the NGT subjects (P=0.0001). The mean SCV in the NDD group (42±10 m/s) was also significantly lower (P<0.0007) than the NGT (46±6 m/s) and the IGT (48±10 m/s) groups. No significant difference in the mean SCV between the NGT and IGT groups was noted. In the multiple linear regression analysis both age and male gender were the risk factors for abnormal MCV and SCV. Abnormal MCV was found to be associated with 2-hr post glucose levels (R2 = 14.5%), while HbA1c (R2 = 4.9%) contributed towards abnormal SCV. CONCLUSION: Abnormal NCV is a common finding in NDD subjects. Slower mean MCV demonstrated by IGT subjects, calls for early screening of these subjects for complications